Abilene High can't overcome 28-0 deficit against Haltom

Abilene High players Nathan Embila (32) and Reese Pettijohn (21) and others take the field before Friday's District 3-6A game against unbeaten Haltom High. Fans brought umbrellas to Birdville ISD Fine Arts/Athletic Complex in North Richland Hills.(Photo: Quinton D. Lilley)

Haltom 28, Abilene High 14

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — Two touchdowns in the second half weren't enough as the Abilene High Eagles lost their second straight District 3-6A game, 28-14 to the unbeaten Haltom High Buffalos on Friday.

The Eagles were hit by a buzz saw in the first half, as the Buffalos exploded out of the gate for a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, scoring on their first two drives.

Meanwhile, the Eagles ran just 10 plays on their opening two drives resulting in just two first downs before a punt and interception by quarterback Kallin Sipe.

Coming into Friday's game Abilene High coach Del Van Cox said his team needed to avoid slow starts like they had against San Angelo Central, Cooper and Amarillo Tascosa. But Eagle fans in attendance saw more of the same Friday, which ultimately proved to be the difference.

"We had another slow start offensively," Cox said. "And (Haltom) made some big plays early to capitalize on our slow start, which made it really tough for us to get back into the game."

Haltom proved to be the more explosive team with seven plays of 20 yards or more, with three of those plays going for touchdowns.

Coming into the game, the Buffs were averaging nearly 52 points per game, and Cox said Haltom's big play ability was something his coaching staff was worried about.

"That's a very explosive team over there," Cox said. "They have plenty of athletes that can score from anywhere on the field, but, even so, I thought our defense did a good job, especially in the second half correcting some of our mistakes and holding them to just that one score in the second half."

Another one of the key factors in the Eagles loss was turnovers. On the night the Eagles finished with one more first down than Haltom, but three interceptions and a failed fourth-down attempt in the red zone in the first quarter helped Haltom grab the early lead.

"We knew coming into the game that they're a high powered offense, and against those guys, you can't rely on kicking field goals to keep you in the game. We just didn't execute on that play to score," Cox said of his decision to go for it on fourth down early in the game.

After being down by 28 points midway through the third quarter, the Eagles played a second half which Cox hopes to build on going forward.

In the third quarter, Sipe was replaced by backup quarterback Matt Ezzell, who had a solid night, finishing the game with a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown while going 7-10 for 101 yards and an interception.

"I was happy with the way we played in the second half, but we need to play with that kind of urgency in the first half of these games," Cox said. "Because against good teams, we can't fall behind and expect to get back into the game in the second half."

Cox also said he was encouraged by Ezzell's performance in his first varsity action.

"Kallin's been banged up quite a bit this season, so we decided to get Matt in there, and I thought he did a great job for us. I was proud of the way he played especially when you're being thrown into the fire like that."

Turning point: After the Eagles were forced to punt on their opening drive of the second half, the Eagles defense had the Buffalos backed up inside their own 20 when Black made his biggest play of the game. The senior quarterback fielded a bad snap like a shortstop, evaded four Eagles defenders and then found receiver Julian Johnson open downfield, resulting in an 85-yard touchdown pass. That score gave the Buffs a 28-0 lead.

Player of the game: Michael Black, quarterback, Haltom High — Black had a solid game on the ground and through the air, tallying 82 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown. He also went 14 of 25 for 257 yards passing and two more scores.

Key stat: The Buffalos converted 8 of 13 third downs to help keep most of their first-half drives going. On defense, the Buffalos also got a huge contribution from defensive back Johnny Smith-Rider, who had a hat trick with three interceptions.

What this means: After losing two straight the Eagles likely will be in fourth place in the district after starting 2-0. Abilene High will need to win their last two games to guarantee a playoff spot.

Abilene High coach Del Van Cox said: "We're running out of opportunities now, if we want to make the playoffs we have to start winning games and it all starts Friday night. We have two opportunities left so we need to make sure we take advantage of them."

Next game: The Eagles will return home to play Weatherford (2-5 overall, 0-3 district). The Kangaroos lost 38-14 to Euless Trinity at home Friday. Haltom will have an away game against Richland High. The Buffalos share Birdville ISD Fine Arts/Athletic Center with Richland.